I Could Gain Back the 70 Pounds I Lost If I Don't Stick to These 5 Tricks

When it comes to losing weight, there is no magic recipe that melts off the pounds for everyone. Some people go hardcore with the Atkins diet (I could NEVER do it), others are totally in love with Weight Watchers. For some, cutting things out completely like sweets and soda, is a recipe for success.

Although the ways we drop weight differ, the ways that work to keep it off are generally the same. After dropping 70 pounds myself within the last four years or so, my whole lifestyle has been about maintenance. I know how it feels to work really hard and make sacrifices to better your life. Check out my 5 easy tips to maintaining your weight loss:

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1. Everything in moderation: For me, I've never limited what foods I can eat. I find that maintaining my weight loss is about incorporating the healthy eating habits I've developed into my lifestyle without giving things up. If I'm at a friend's birthday party, for example, you better believe I'm having a sliver of that cake. If I don't have that, I know that I'll just indulge on something worse off later.

2. Make time for activity: This is 100 percent my biggest tool for keeping the weight off. Me, I'm a runner. I could run for an hour and it centers me, and puts things in perspective when I'm stressed out. Whether running is your thing or not -- having some sort of activity that you love doing makes all the difference. Heck, it can be a whole slew of different things. Just stay active.

3. Drink water: I suck at this. It's actually a struggle for me to remember to drink H20 at my desk during the day, and on the weekends? Forgettaboutit. But I notice a huge difference in the way I feel when I do. More alert, and I feel like my food digests better.

4. Allow room for mistakes: You can't be hard on yourself when you "mess up." That doesn't do you or anyone else any favors. If you overindulge on a night out with the girls, then make it your mission to get back on track the next few days. Every day is a new day, there's no reason to forgo your steady progress because of a few extra calories.

5. Continue to make new goals: If you've accomplished your weight loss goal, it's always healthy to make new ones. Maybe you want to try cooking with different ingredients, signing up for an intense race like a Tough Mudder, or simply want to try and tone those arms. Having another healthy goal will encourage you to keep up your healthy lifestyle.

Have you ever lost a significant amount of weight? What have you done to keep it off?